Undercover
by AthenaIceGoddess
Summary: Vic and Kat are sent undercover to to the jungles of Columbia, deep into cartel territory, find a missing operative.
1. Default Chapter

_JAG Headquarters_

_( Maryland, Virginia)_

_07:05 Zulu_

Mason's POV

Lieutnenet Kat Mason breezed into JAG headquarters five minutes late. " Morning, petty officer!" She called to Jen Coates, who smiled back. " Good morning , ma'am. general Cresswell told me to tell you that he wanted you in his office seven minutes ago."

" I suppose I'm to be blamed for early morning traffic?" She muttered under her breath, knocking on her CO's door.

" Enter." The crisp voice answered, and she walked in, saluting smartly. " Sorry, sir. Traffic was a pain to get through this morning."

The general waved off her salute, and she sat down beside Vukovic, smiling a hello at him. He winked back, waving the folder that had been plaging her since their return from the USS Washington two weeks ago.

She scowled at him. " How wuold you two like to go undercover?" Cresswell suddenly asked, looking up from his paperwork. Kat and Vic exchanged a look.

" Are you sick of me already, sir?" Kat asked, laughing. " Does JAG DO undercover?" Vic asked, sitting back with his arms crossed.

" The CIA wants you two for an undercover op in Columbia. One of their operatives disappeared down there, and they want you two to go." He explained, looking none to happy with the request.

" They asked for us _specifically, _sir? Somethnig has to be up with that. I just got here, and lieutenent Vukovic hasn't been here for all that much longer. Do you know _why_ they wanted JAG officers? Wouldn't their own people be a better choice?" Kat asked, sensing an alterior motive.

" All they would tell me on the phone is that no, their peolpe wouldn't be better, and they wanted two new people. It's completely up to you guys, but this feels a little..."

" Squirelly, sir?" Kat asked, and the general nodded. " That would work. I'm not sure what to think of this. If you do decide to go, and come back ina coffin, I swear, I'll reach beyond the grave and pull you back to kill you myself."

" Yes sir. No dying, sir." Vic said. " You're dismissed. You have until 08:00 to make your decision."

Kat and Vic left the office, and wordlessly went into Vic's office. " What do you think? Sounds pretty exciting to me. Dangerous, and we probably won't have all the info until the most inopportune time, but I've always wanted to do something like this." Kat asked, propping her hip up on the corner of his desk.

" Yeah, I agree. We should go. And here's whats in the folder, since it's been killing you to find out." He handed her the document, and she snatched it up eagerly.

And gave him the driest look possible. " My personnell files. You kept me in suspense for two weeks for my _personnell files_? I'm going to kill you." Sighing in disgust, she threw it back on his table.

He laughed. " That should teach you. Now, do we wait until 08:00, or tell Cresswell now?"

Kat checked her watch. " Nah. I'm starving. Want something from the deli?"

He blinked at her incredulously. " At seven in the morning?" " They carry breakfast items. Do you want something or not?" He looked like he was about to say no, but a gurgle from his stomach changed his mind.

" Yeah, large double double, and something good. Please." He said, and Kat snorted.

" What made you think _I_ was paying? Fork it over, lieutenent." She said, and Vic dropped a twenty in her hand.

" Impossible woman." She smiled sweetly over her shoulder as she left. " Love you too."

_JAG Headquarters_

_( Virginia, Maryland)_

_08:00_

Vukovic's POV

Vic walked into the general's office, with lieutenet Mason by his side. " Sir." They choroused, and the general waved them into chairs.

" Sit. Lieutenents, this is Agent Callis. He'll be your contact should you choose to go on this mission." Cresswell said, pointing his chin towards a small, thin man with mouse brown hair.

" We've chosen to go, sir." Vic said, and Cresswell frowned. " You did? Ok. Callis, brief them. And if I find out you've withheld information..." The warning in his voice was evident.

" Don't worry, general. They will have all they need." Callis redirected his icy gaze to Vic and Kat. " All the information you need is in these folders. You'll have to memorize what's in here. The cartels you'll be meeting with will have done their homework, so you will want to be as familiar as possible with your new lives."

Vic opened his folder, and skimmed over the information hidden within. " I'm married? Am I supposed to know my wife's life story as well?" He said with a laugh. " What does she look like?"

Callis smiled, thin lips looking like a diagonal gash across his face. " Look to your left, lieutenent. There she is."

Vic and I stared at each other for a second before it dawned on us. " What? Is this a joke?" I demanded. " I'm supposed to be married to him?"

" Hey, don't sound so disappointed. You would think I was old and hairy." He said, a hint of a pout coloring his voice.

" Old, no. Hairy, I'm not too sure about. Agent, I don't know about this." Kat said, standing up.

" You'll be fine. Just act like you're acting now, and you'll do fine. Most married couples act like they hate each other, so you're halfway there as it is." Callis replied, and Kat sat back down with a sigh.

" Your plane tickets are in the folders. The flight leaves at 12:00 today, so get some stuff packed. And remember, you have to know your information." Callis said, and after a nod to the general, he left.

" This is what you get for agreeing to do something for the CIA. You're dismissed. Get your stuff packed." Cresswell said, going back to his paperwork.

" Well, Mr. Jackson, I'll see you in a few." Kat said, grabbing her coat and heading for the door.

" I'll pick you up at your apartment at 10:30, Katie." Vic replied, smiling at the look she shot him.

" Do you even know where I live?" She, fishing in her pockets for the keys to her Jeep.

" You live a few apartment houses down from where petty officer Coates lives, right? I know where it is." Vic assured her, walking her out to the parking lot.

" Kiss goodbye?" He asked, grinning at her. She scolwed back. " In your dreams, cowboy. You even try to make a move on me, you might be waking up less of a man." She waved her keys at him to emphasize her point.

" We'll see." He replied, with a conspiritors wink, getting into his truck.


	2. Chapter 2

_Kat's Apartment_

_( Maryland, Virginia)_

_10:25_

Vukovic's POV

Vic pulled up to his partner's apartment building in his Ford Explorer. Getting out, he walked up to the door and buzzed up.

" Who is it?" Kat's voice called back down, and Vic chuckled. " It's your husband. Don't you think it's kind of sad that we're supposed to be married and you can't even recognize my voice?" He asked, and his reply was a derisive snort.

He went up to her apartment and knocked on the door. " Hey. You're early." Kat said, opening her door for him.

He shrugged. " I'm an early kind of guy. This isn't anything like I expected. It's... cozy." He said, looking around at the dark red walls and comfy leather chairs.

" What, did you think my apartment would be more like the me you know?" Kat asked, shrugging into a thin coat and grabbing her suitcase.

" There are more than one you? Great." Vic muttered under his breath. " Are you ready?"

" When am I not?" Kat replied, shooing him towards the door. " Go on. If you behave, you might be let inside again. Do you have all of your stuff, Ryan?"

Vic started at hearing her call him by his ' married' name. It was something he would have to get used to.

Draping his arm over her shoulders, he closed the door for her. " I could get used to this married stuff. Isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

" You just wait until you have to wake me from a dead sleep. You'll be wantnig to file for divorce."

" Why? What do you do that's so bad?" She threw back her head and laughed. " You'll see."

_**1 Hour Later...**_

Vic shifted in his seat for what seemed like the milionth time since he sat down. There just wasn't enough leg room on the plane, and they were in first class! He couldn't imagine the discomfort of the people in second and third class.

" God! Would you sit still! Are you going to do this the whole trip?" Kat demanded, glaring at him over the top of her folder. " Because if you are, there's a nice, empty seat over there where I could go sit in peace. Now, I thought you wanted to go over your information, so if you please?"

Grumbling about being henpecked, Vic pulled the brown envolope out of his carry on and hunkered down for what was going to be an uncomfortable trip for him.

" Where did we meet?" Kat asked. " Your parents were having their thirtieth anniversary celebration, and my car broke down across the road. I rang the doorbell, and you answered it. We were in love from that moment on." He answered, and she smiled.

" Well, that was better than I expected. You seem to be a natural at this pretending stuff." Kat said, eyeing him.

" Where did we go on our honeymoon?" Vic asked, his eyes boring into her own with an intensity that made her look away. The thought of their honeymoon brought thoughts that would probably get her court-martialed, could a superior officer read her mind.

" Aruba. Your parents, who were drug lords in New York in their time, have a place there. I broke my ankle sailing, and you carried me to our room like a true gentleman."

Vic covered his heart. " You don't think I'm a real gentleman?" Again, she just snorted. " Honey, you're a ladykiller. I know you're a gentleman- at least on a date. Afterwards, I doubt it."

" You underestimate me." _' And I'll show you how a real gentleman behaves.'_ " I'm sure." Kat replied, patting his hand, and going back to studying her life history.

" You have to be the most infuriating woman I know." She grinned at him. " It's my life mission, to piss you off. Am I getting there yet?"

Oh, yeah. SHe was definately getting under his skin. In more ways then one.

Mason's POV

The wheels touched down on the runway, jarring Kat from her sleep. " We're here already? How long have I been asleep?" She asked, yawning and stretching like a cat, which is how she came upon her nickname.

" Aren't marines supposed to have a perfect internal clock?" He replied, just waking up himself.

" Nothing about me is perfect, down to the little tattoo on my... hip." She smiled slyly at him, and after the plane skidded to a complete stop, she stood up.

" Come, husband dear. We have to unpack before we can call our asscociates." Vic tried to stand up, but a leg cramp had him hissing in pain and falling back down.

" Damn nonexistant leg room!" He snapped, rubbing his thigh. Rolling her eyes, Kat grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet despite hs protests. " Suck it up, navyboy. Walk it off. Geez, and we wonder why men don't get pregnant."

" Are you supposed to be like this? You know, demanding?" Vic asked sourly, following her up the aisle. " Yep. It's in the job description. Wanna read it?"

" No, I think I can get by without it." the corner of her mouth turned up wryly. " Sarcasm becomes you. Are you ready for this?"

" Yeah, of course. It'll be a breeze. Go in, get the guy out, be back in time for dinner. You have the directions to our hotel?" They stepped on to solid ground for the first time in four and a half hours, and Kat secretly wanted to drop to her knees and kiss it.

She had always had an innate fear of flying, and after 9/11, it took her a full year to get back in the air. Helicopters still terrified her, but she dealt as best she could.

" Kat?" Vic's annoyed voice broke through her reverie. " Oh, sorry. Were you saying something?"

He sighed. " I asked if you had directions to our hotel." " Yeah, sure. Here." SHe handed him a slip of paper from her pocket, and he looked over it.

" Is this your handwriting? You should have been a doctor. This is worse then my five year old niece's." He handed it back and she frowned at him. " It isn't that bad."

" You wanna bet? That three looks like an 'I'." He went over and grabbed their luggage. " It's a W." She muttered, leading him over to the rental car.

_**20 Minutes Later...**_

" Wow. The navy really _does_ love me." Kat said, setting her bags down on the floor of a very fancy hotel room. " It even has a Jacuzzi! And only one bed." She finished, looking at Vic.

" If you really wanted to prove what a gentleman you were, you would let me have the bed." She said, giving him her best persuasive look.

" It's big enough for the both of us." Vic replied, to Kat's dismay. " Oh, come on! I'll keep my hands to myself. Cross my heart." She pointed a finger at him.

" And you WILL die if you don't. I'm taking a shower." She said, heading to the bathroom.

" ANd there's no shower. Guess most guests are here to pamper themselves. A nice long soak could be nice." She pulled her shirt and bra off in one smooth movement, and had just removed her skirt when the door swung open.

" I was wondering if- whoa. Sorry." " Vukovic! Did your mother not teach you to knock?" Kat hissed, covering herself with her arms.

" Funny, I didn't figure you to be the red lace type." He replied, glancing at her underwear before dragging his smoldering eyes up to meet hers.

" I'm not what I seem. Now Get. Out. Please." He gave hr one last look befoer departing.

She wasn't cold anymore, that was for sure. " Damn him. Why does he have to be so attractive?" She complained into her bathwater. " It wouldn't be s bad if I wasn't so attracted to him, but I am. And now I'm rambling-" A crash from the room interrupted her.

Se grabbed her gun from the tub ledge, and, wrapping a towel around herself, edged to the door.

She inched it open, and lookde around. She didn't see anyone, so she carefully went into the room.

" Katie. It's all right. OUr associates found us." Vic said from the couch, and she tensed.

" And that's supposed to make me feel better?" She asked, looking at the three men surrounding Vukovic.

" Relax, Mrs. Jackson. We're here to do business, remember?" the smaller of the three said in a soothing english accent.

" English drug dealers in Columbia? There's a surprise." She murmured, lowering her weapon. " Do you boys mind if I slip into something a bit... less comfortable?" She was suddenly conscious that her towel barely covered her legs.

" I don't know. The look works for you." English said, eyeing her toned legs with undeniable lust.

" Hey, keep your eyes to yourself, Johnson. That's my wife you're staring at." Vic growled menacingly, standing up.

" Ryan, drop it. I'll just go get changed" Walking back into the bathroom, Kat changed into the clingy red sundress with the strappy back that she had brought with her, wishing idly that she had grabbed a turtlenack and shorts instead.

" Would you gentlemen like something to drink?" She asked, re-entering the room with a smile, ignoring the looks she got from all four men. " We have a well stocked mini bar."

" Just a beer, thank you." Johnson replied, and she threw him one. " What about the rest of you?" They nodded, and she removed three more, getting herself a few fingers of scotch.

" Now, let's get down to business." Johnson said.

_**Next Chapter:**_

_**Vic and Kat meet the operative- with dire consequences. **_

**_Go on, push the little purple button . Come on, you know you want to ;)_**


	3. Chapter 3

_Hotel_

_( Columbia)_

_19:23 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

" We'll give you 5- if the coke is good. And we know good coke, believe me. Don't try to screwe us over." Johnson said, leaning back and pulling out an illegal cuban cigar.

Kat shot him an annoyed glare that could have turned him into dust, had she so plaesed. " Could you not smoke that in here? Cigar smoke makes me nauseous. Not to mention how bad it is for your health." He ignored her and pulled out a lighter.

" Hey, I'm trying to help you out, here.I'll not ask you again.Put that thing away before I put it away fro you." Kat said in a warning tone. " Your woman should learn her place, Ryan. I despise women who think they can play with their men." Vic glanced at his partner, and seeing the rage on her face, smiled apologetically.

" I wouldn't want to piss her off if I were you. She's a better shot than me. Shorter temper, too. She once killed a man for less than lighting a cigar in her presence. I have to say it's a good quality. She's very protective."

Johnson galnced at her, and sized her up. He quickly put away the cigar. " Thank you." SHe said politely. " Now, we don't have the drugs with us, but I can guarantee you it's top quality. Extremely pure." Kat said, sitting down beside Vic, who placed an arm around her shoulders with an air of familiarity.

He half expected her to forget where they were and clout him, but luckily for him, she nestled closer, playing the loving wife.

" Have it by tomarrow at noon, and we'll set up a meeting to see what you have to offer. I know what you said, but you don't get far in this business by being trusting." Johnson stood up with his accomplices, and promptly left.

Kat waited a few minutes, to be sure that the 'guests' were gone, before beginning her rant. " Bastard! Learn my place? I'll show him my place- and his too, while I'm at it!" She started pacing, and Vic sighed. He could feel a headache coming on.

" I know you're going to hate me for this, but I don't think it would hurt to tone it down a bit. These guys don't seem the type to put up with your attitude, and I don't want to see you get hurt." Vic replied tenatatively, and she stopped.

" If I didn't know you better, I would say that you cared. I suppose I could try to repress my personality, if it will help us achieve our means." She sat down across from him, curling her shapely legs underneath her like a doe would.

Vic watched her sit, and felt his body temperature rising. _' No. Just because she's PLAYING your wife dosen't mean a thing. And neither does the fact that she curled up beside you and it felt so- nope. Not going there.'_ He quickly put a lid on his thoughts.

" So when are we supposed to find this operative, anyway? It said that he had just disappeared. Maybe he just succombed to the temptations his job, and he dosen't want to be found." KAt mused, picking a piece of lint off of her dress.

" I don't know. Maybe- what was that?" Vic saw someting slide under the door. Upon closer examination, he saw that it was an envolope. Picking it up, he cautiously opened it.

" What is it?" Kat asked, looking at it from beside him. " Let's find out." He unfolded the piece of paper and read aloud:

' Meet me at the edge of the town at sundown. Make sure you aren't followed.' He finished, looking at Kat, who looked back at him with a curious glint in her eye.

" It could be a trap." She said, trying to be the voice of reason. " And it could be our guy, coming to us. It would certainly save us a lot of grief. I say we go. Armed, of course, but what could it hurt? No one here knows who we really are." Vic countered.

Shrugging, Kat walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a change of clothes. " If this is a setup, we could just say that we thought it was them changing their minds. Sundown is in a few minutes. We should get going if we're going."

Mason's POV

Standing on the outskirts of the town in almost pitch blackness, Kat felt a shiver of unease run down her spine. " My spidey sense is tingling. Something's wrong here. Whoever it is, they should be here by now."

Vic nodded in agreement. " Let's head back. We aren't being paid to get ourselves killed on what's probably just a prank."

They started back, just to be interrupted. " What's your hurry? Imapatient for military personnell, aren't you?" A smooth, very feminine voice askde from behind them.

" And who are you?" Kat asked, turning around to face the woman. " Why, I'm the one you're suppposed to be rescuing. I'm assuming you're the two Callis said to bring me back?"

Vic and Kat exchanged a look that plainly said: ' Should we trust her?' Vic shrugged. " She knows anyway. If she were with Johnson, we would be dead by now. Yeah, that's us. We were under the impression that you were male."

She chuckled. " I'm sure you were. Are you sure you weren't followed? Because if you weren't, let's get out of here before my luck runs out."

" Why didn't you contact Callis like you were supposed to?" KAt asked, crossing her arms over her chest and regarding the tall woman with a level gaze.

" Because, I have reason to believe that Callis is dirty. He sent me here in hopes that I would be killed by his drug buddies down here. But he forgets that I was trained by the best- him. As soon as I got off of the plane, I went into hiding. Figured he would send someone after me, so I stuck it out."

" What evidence do you have? We can't just go home and accuse the most decorated agent in the history of the CIA of being dirty on the word of someone who's been AWOL for the last month." Vic asked, feeling skeptical.

" I have all the evidence you'll need locked in a safe. You'll get it when you get me home." Sudden;y her eyes darted over their shoulders.

" Damnit! I told you to makje sure that you weren't followed!" She snapped, s\backing away.

" If you live, call your superior officer and tell him to dig up some information on Firestorm." She slipped around the corner, silent as a ghost.

" Damn spooks! Come on!" Vic grabbed Kat's hand and ran, pulling her aruond the corner into the markertplace. It was closed, but offered a lot of hiding places.

" In here!" He shoved her under a table covered by a cloth and dove under after her.

They huddled up against the wall. Kat opened her mouth to whisper something, but Vic clamped his hand over her mouth.

Running feet stomped by, visible under the cloth.One pair stopped in fromt of their iding place, and stood there for sevral nerve- wracking seconds. just as Kat thought her lungs were about to burst from holding her breath, he moved on.

A few minutes the pursuers disappeared, Vic and Kat crawled out from under the table. " That was close." She said, brushing off her pants.

" Let's not try that again, hmm? We should get back to the hotel before anyone misses us." Vic said, and Kat nodded her agreement.

They headed back to the hotel, getting a knowing look from the door attendant that made Kat's cheeks heat.

" God knows what this must look like." Kat snapped as they walked up the stairs. " Coming in late at night like this."

Vic raised an eyebrow at his companion. " Liek you've never stayed out past curfew with a boy before."

" The first time I did, my father stayed up on the porch with a shotgun. When my boyfriend and I pulled up, my father stood up. ' Go on inside, sweetheart, while this young man and I have a little talk.' I got out of thje car, and Dad started towards Jake's Camero. He pumped it once, and Jake was out of there like a bat out of- Oh, hell."

Johnson waited outside their door, sharpening a nasty looking knife. " Where did you two go in such a hurry? I came back a few minutes ago, after chasing a couple of american soldiers."

The pair exchanged a look. This wasn't good.

**Next Chapter:**

**Vic and Kat face some tough questions**


	4. Chapter 4

_Hotel_

_( Columbia)_

_20:34 Zulu_

Vukovic's POV

Vic glared at the dealers as they shoved him and Kat into the hotel room.

" Sit down, make yourselves comfortable." Johnson said, gesturing to a couple of chairs. Kat lifted her chin in a show of defiance.

" I'll stand." Without warning, Johnson gave her a swift uppercut, sending her reeling backwards into the wicker chair. She wiped a trickle of blood from her chin, eyes blazing murder.

Vic jumped forward, to defend his partner, but he was roughly shoved into the seat beside Kat. " I told you to keep your woman in line. This is what happens when I do it for you. Even if she is not your real wife, _lieutnent._"

" Crawl back under the stone-age rock you slimed out from under, you bastard! Anyone who has to hit a woman half their size to feel like a-" Kat snarled, but was silenced by a sharp blade pressing into her neck.

" Say one more word and I'll bleed you dry. Ah! Don't mistake my intentions, little lady. I have no problem killing you." He warned, kissing her.

She pulled away, choking. " What do you want, Johnson? And what makes you think we're military?" Vic said, barely restraining himself from the urge to rip out the bastard's throat.

" I know. Don't play me for a fool. Now, why are you really here? Who sent you?"

Silence greeted the question. " Fine. We'll do it your way." He belted Vukovic, who slammed into the floor under Johnson's bodybuilder buddy's black combat boot.

" Stop it!" Kat cried, but was unable to assist because of the knife at her neck.

Vic coughed, his face turning red as his oxygen supply was slowly cut off.

" Goddamn you, stop it!" Kat gathered up her legs and kicked backwards with enough force to send Johnson scuttling backwards. Before he or one of his cronies could move, Kat had grabbed her concealed weapon and stabbed Vic's tormentor.

Vic jumped to his feet, the bodybuilder's gun pointed at Johnson. Cronie number 2 stepped forward, and Vic cocked the weapon at Johnson's head.

" Stand still, you idiot! Are you trying to get me killed?" He snapped, glaring daggers at Vic and Kat.

" Good help is SO hard to find these days, isn't it? Now, you'er going to sit there like a good boy while I call security to drag your sorry asses off to the worst jail they can think of." Kat picked up the phone and called the security guards.

Minutes later, security guards were dragging off the two alive suspects and the dead one.

Kat let out a breath. " Well, that came close to being our last case. Remind me never to take another mission from the CIA."

Vic stepped forward, lifting her chin. " Are you ok? That was some hit you took."

She smiled up at him. " That's nothing. I kick box and paintball in my free time. You took quite the punch yourself. Didn't think you had it in you, cowboy. You continue to impress me."

He stepped forward and grinned back. " That was the plan." he started to lean down to kiss her, but someone clearing her throat interrupted them.

Kat sprang back like she had touched hot coals, andquickly brushed off a piece of invisible lint from hwer pants.

" Am I interrupting something here?" The woman they had met earlier was leaining against the doorjamb, smirking at the pair. " ' Cause I can always come back later."

Kat regained her composure. " No. We're good." She said, and Vic frowned. What was she doing back?

**Sorry so short, but next chapter will tie up all loose ends... or will it? ;) I promise it will be longer. Thanks to Frietazal fro your wonderful reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Hotel_

_( Columbia)_

_20:55 Zulu_

Mason's POV

" What are you doing here?" Kat asked, doing an Emmy Award winning performance of hiding her annoyance. The agent threw a cell phone at her, and Kat put it up to her ear.

" Hello? Sir? How did she- never mind. I assume you know about Callis then?" Kat said to Cresswell.

" Ok. Yes, sir. We'll be back as soon as we can get a flight back." She hung up.

" Well, I have to hand it to you, you sure are handy. That saved one of us the chore of explaining this whole mess to him. Yuo're coming back to Virginia with us. And what's your name?" Kat asked.

" Kirin. I can't go back, but you can bet that this isn't the last time you'll be seeing me. I have to explain this to MY boss. I don't suppose you would want to return the favor?" Kirin asked, cringing at the thought of facing her tyrannical boss.

" Can't. The me to- and this is a quote-' get our asses back to Virginia ASAP'. He's in the process of getting Callis nailed as we speak. Vic, we have to get going." Kat said, turnung to Vic.

He nodded. " Yeah. Thanks for your help, Kirin." he flashed her his signature smile, and Kat shook her head. He couldn't help but flirt with any woman he met.

The pair gathered up their stuff and, after calling and booking two seats on a commercial flight to Maryland, caught a cab to the airport.

" These cabs are so cramped." Kat commented. If they were packed any closer in the car, Kat would be sitting on Vic's lap.

" I hadn't noticed. Listen, about back there-" Vic started, but Kat held up a hand to silence him.

" It's ok. Don't worry about it." He shook his head. " I wasn't worried, I was-"

" Well, you should have been. Look, we're here." She jumped out of the cab like the hounds of hell were on her heels and grabbed her stuff.

There was no way she was talking about the almost-kiss now, or anytime in the near future. Just because being near Vukovic got her blood pumping and her fool heart dancing didn't mean that she was going to jeopardize her career.

Vukovic's POV

Vic skimmed through a magazine while Kat slept in the seat beside him. Ever since their slip in the hotel, she had been weird. Vic didn't see anything wrong with it, which was a problem in itself.

He stole a glance at his partner, and couldn't help chuckling. She was a marine down to the way she slept. Her teeth were clenched, and her arms were crossed.

He would have to be more careful in his dealings with her from now on. It seemed that there were feelinggs developing there, and Vic usually tried to- at least since his last horror story of sleeping eith a coworker- keep feelings out of the job description. But Kat was somehow different. He didn't know how, or why, and he didn't like it one bit.

In fact, he liked it about as much as he liked flying. He had never liked flying, and never would.

The buckle seat belts sign came on, and Vic's lungs did a little jig in his chest.

" Kat, wake up. Wake up." She came awake startled. " Huh? What? Where- oh. Seat belts. God." SHe buckled hers, and settled back down to sleeping.

She peered at Vic's knuckles, noticing that they were white as a sheet.

" Geez, Vukovic, let the poor chair breathe. And if you don't let go of that, your knuckles are going to burst out of your skin." She pried his fingers off of the arm, and set them in his lap.

" A tad scared of flying, are we?" She asked teasingly, and he sat up straighter. " No, I;m not _scared_."

Kat looked at his leg. " Then stop gripping your leg like it's a life line." He forced himself to relax. He picked up a magazine and pretended to read for the rest of the trip.

They stepped off of the plane, and Vic said a quick and silent thank you to anyone who might be listening.

**15 minutes later...**

**( JAG Headquarters)**

Vic drove straight to JAG, and he and Kat went in. " Is the General in his office?" Vic asked Coates, who nodded, putting on her coat.

" Jen! Are you erady to go?" someone called, and Kat turned around to see Mike Roberts wakl in.

Jen went slightly red and nodded, saying a quick goodnight and hurrying out of the building.

" Wondr if Commander Roberts knows that Coates is dating his little brother?" Vic asked, amused, as he and Kat entered the general's office.

" Sir." They saluted. " We have him. This came for you two." Cresswell handed thema large gift basket full of goodies, and Kat pulled out a note.

" It's from Kirin. It says: Thanks again for your help. Couldn't have done it without you. I'll see you two around. Woman of little words, I guess. General, you don't ever have to worry about me going off on any more CIA missions. It just isn't for me."

" Me either, sir. If you don't mind, I wuold like to get home and sleep for about three days." Vic said, and the general stood up.

" You have two. Get out of here." He said, softening the rebuke with a smile.

They nodded, and left the office. " Well, you get to drive me home. And help me with my stuff, since you are such a gentleman." Kat said, and Vic grimaced.

" The cost of being kind. Fine, but make it quick. I need some ice and Tylenol for my jaw."

Kat touched the bruise already forming. " yeah, that should be quite a nice black bruise tomarrow. I probably ahve a nice split lip, right?" Vic nodded.

" Wonderful." She muttered, running her tongue over the spot. " Can we go?"

Mason's POV

_Kat's Apartment_

_22: 30 Zulu_

" What do you HAVE in here? Feels like bricks." Vic complained, dragging two of kat's suicases into her apartment while she carried the last.

" Oh, get over it. Visit the gym a bit more often." She retorted, putting on the lights. " Just dump it there. I'll deal with it in the morning. Thanks for helping. Go fix up that bruise- it's becoming rather spectacular."

" Thanks." He replied sarcastically, as she waved him out. " Ohhhh, long couple of days." She muttered, falling onto her bed fully dressed and promptly fell asleep.

Her stuff could be unpacked the next day. Or the day after that. Or, pretty much whenever. She has plently of time.


End file.
